Monthly Archives: June 2021

You may have watched one of these videos online of someone allegedly magnetized or microchipped by their COVID-19 vaccination.

Some videos show people sticking various metal objects on their bodies, such as spoons, button batteries, or keys, to show that the person is magnetized. Other videos show magnetic disks stuck to a person’s arm to reinforce their claim that a microchip is under the skin. Although funny, there is nothing factual about their claims.

For at least a century, pranksters have shown themselves to be “human magnets” by sticking various metallic objects on their skin.

Many have been discredited by various techniques. One approach showed that it could not be magnetism, as smooth non-metallic objects made of wood or porcelain would also stick. Others were disproved when compasses, which detect Earth’s weak magnetic field, failed to find the magnetic fields surrounding these so-called “human magnets.”

James Randi, the famous skeptic, has shown that it is not magnetism but rather sticky skin that gives a trickster his “incredible powers” because a thin layer of talcum powder prevents objects from sticking.

There is no scientific justification for COVID-19 vaccines to magnetize people. None of the vaccines contain metals such as iron, nickel, cobalt, lithium, or rare earth alloys. They also do not contain microelectronics, microchips, semiconductor nanowires or carbon nanotubes.

The sad thing is that there are people who spread such myths and there are others who believe them. Sadder still, some believers refused the vaccine and died from COVID-19.

A doctor, known for his anti-vaccine activism, testified before Ohio lawmakers, saying COVID-19 vaccines, in concert with the 5G mobile phone network, are magnetizing people as videos on the internet show.

She was testifying in favor of the Vaccine Choice and Anti-Discrimination Act, which would ban in Ohio any mandatory vaccination requirements against COVID-19 and prohibit asking for information about an individual’s vaccination status. The doctor’s testimony did not work, as his claims about magnetism-inducing vaccines were ridiculed and the law lacks support to move forward in its current form.

While it is easy to see through such outlandish claims about magnetism and microchips, other claims are not so easily dismissed. For example, rumors that vaccines cause female infertility and drop male sperm counts are widely circulating (FYI: vaccines don’t cause either.)

It is important to turn to reliable sources such as the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and universities when evaluating such claims. For the most part, social media is an unreliable source of factual information as it is largely filled with lies and rumors. People should stay away from sources that attack vaccines at all levels because they often present incomplete information, are based on hearsay, and lack rigorous scientific studies.

Finally, beware of scientists, researchers and isolated doctors who make statements contrary to the majority in their profession. He or she may be a true crusader for the truth or may be just another nutcase. A good idea is to ask your own healthcare professional.

Smart vaccines is written by faculty members of the Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences, Drs. Megan berman, associate professor of internal medicine, and Richard rupp, professor of pediatrics in the medical branch of the University of Texas. For questions about vaccines, email [email protected]

Social media posts claim the chicken and beef were injected with prion proteins, nanoparticles or other materials that make them stick to fridge magnets. But the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) says its surveillance measures protect against metal contamination, while experts add prions could not be responsible and nanoparticles are not added to meat.

“Don’t go to the store without your magnet”, says a June 14, 2021 Facebook post.

In the video, a man sticks a small round magnet on the outside of a package of chicken. He said, “They just put little prayers here,” suggesting that the let’s pray — a infectious protein – cause magnetic effects.

Several articles making similar claims on a variety of packaged and unpackaged poultry and meat products are also Instagram, where the most popular iteration exceeded 40,000 views. Videos on Youtube and TIC Tac, as good as compilation videos, have further extended the claim.

It comes after a series of false and misleading claims that have linked Covid-19 vaccinations to widespread magnetism around the world. These included a hoax, allegedly shown in videos, that people’s arms exhibit magnetic properties after being shot.

Other articles claim for various reasons why magnets can stick to meat. One said, “they put magnetic nanoparticles (sic) in our meat”, while another claims “they put toxic heavy metals in our food supply.”

Mick West, an Anglo-American science writer, published a video on Metabunk.org, a website dedicated to debunking pseudoscience, demonstrating that magnets, coins, or other smooth objects will stick to various parts of the body, if the skin is slightly oily. “Remove the oil and the object will not stick,” he explains.

For similar reasons, magnets can stick to meat and poultry “due to the texture, angle or moisture of the product,” USDA told AFP.

“However, that doesn’t mean there is metal in meat or poultry. All meat and poultry products bearing the USDA inspection mark have been inspected for safety, suitability and accurate labeling, ”a USDA spokesperson said on June 21, 2021.

The spokesperson added that all establishments inspected by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service are required to have a system “designed to prevent, eliminate or reduce to acceptable levels any biological, chemical or physical hazard that is reasonably likely to occur in the product”.

As a result, it is unlikely that an undetected piece of metal could contaminate meat products, the spokesperson said, with many establishments going so far as to “install metal detectors and / or x-ray machines to check their final products in order to avoid any accident / unexpected presence of metal (planing or broken part) ”.

FSIS staff also carry out regular inspections.

As for the social media claim that prions could be a magnetic component found in meat, “this suggested hypothesis has no scientific basis,” the USDA spokesperson said, adding: “These are organic matter. More precisely, they are misfolded proteins. Hence, they would lack any sort of magnetic quality.

Prions are associated with meat through the most well-known prion disease, BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) – also called mad cow disease – which affects livestock and is believed to be linked to variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans.

Dr James Mastrianni, professor of neurology at the University of Medicine of Chicago, told AFP on June 17, 2021: “There is some association of prions in meat, but these come from sick cows inadvertently used in the preparation. foods of bovine origin. They were never intentionally injected into meat, but how could anyone disprove such a crazy hypothesis?

“Even though they were injected into meat, they are not magnetic and certainly could not perform the magical act of sticking a magnet on them.”

Some claims suggest that the phenomenon is caused by nanoparticles – tiny materials invisible to the eye which can be of various types.

Iron is a natural component beef and other meats, but Jaydee hanson, political director of the Center for Food Safety, an activist group, told AFP on June 21, 2021: Most fridge magnets are also sensitive.

“As far as I know, no nano ingredients are added to meats in the United States.”

From our sister site, WatchTime Middle East, a look at how watchmaking has countered the threat of magnetism over the years, from the use of metals like palladium in 1915 to silicon in 2015.

Magnetism has been the arch enemy of mechanical timekeeping over the years. Professor Moriarty is to Sherlock Holmes to a mechanical watch. Although the watch industry has responded to this threat with many innovations over the years, readers and budding watch enthusiasts have always asked us this question: how real is the threat of magnetic fields in our world. everyday life ?

Before we answer these questions, let’s take a look at what happens to a mechanical watch when exposed to a magnetic field. The simple truth is that some parts of the escapement, like the balance and hairspring, become magnetized during such exposure. For example, the concentric circles of the hairspring can group together, thus causing friction. This could ultimately affect the amplitude and precision of the escapement. In most cases, after the magnetic field is removed, the watch can start working normally again, but in the case of a particularly strong magnetic field, it can stop working completely.

In 1915, Vacheron Constantin created an anti-magnetic pocket watch and in 1930, Tissot produced its first non-magnetic watches. In both cases, palladium was used in the construction of the escapement.

Pilot’s watches like the IWC Mark XI used an antimagnetic soft iron cage.

During World II, the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) received aviator’s watches whose movements were enclosed in a soft iron casing, known as the Faraday cage, to resist the effects of magnetism to high altitude. Longines supplied the Czech Air Force in the 1930s with watches with “anti-magnetic” markings on the dial.

In 1949 Jaeger-LeCoultre and IWC produced the Mk11 pilot’s watch for British RAF pilots. These watches were made under the strictest conditions set by the Ministry of Defense and required the movement to be enclosed in a soft iron case. IWC produced the Mk11 from 1949 to the early 1980s.

The 1950s were “the era of the tool watch,” in which a handful of watches celebrated man’s spirit of adventure and exploration. These include the Universal Geneva Polerouter (initially called Polarouter) designed for pilots and crew of SAS (Scandinavian Air Services) Airlines flights, which have flown over the North Pole with the aim of reducing flight times between Europe and New America.

These watches, which had to withstand the strong magnetic fields present around the North Pole, were initially delivered only to the SAS crew and were designed by a young Gerald Genta, who would design classics like the Audemars Piguet Royal. Oak and the Patek Philippe Nautilus.

Universal Polerouteur Geneva

In 1955, IWC launched the Ingenieur (Ref: 666A), the brand’s first anti-magnetic automatic watch. The work of IWC technical director Albert Pellaton, the watch was supposed to be the automatic civilian version of the famous Mk11.

He was also famous for presenting the first bidirectional rotor in an automatic movement. The first advertisements of Ingenier (“Engineer” in French) asserted that the watch could withstand a magnetism of up to 1000 Oersted (1000 Gauss). This was at a time when most mechanical watches could withstand magnetic fields of up to 100 Gauss only.

The ISO 764 standard stipulates that, to be considered antimagnetic, a watch must withstand a magnetic field of 4,800 A / m (60 Gauss) and its precision must remain within +/- 30 seconds per day.

In 1956 Rolex introduced the Milgauss (Ref: 6541), a watch capable of withstanding a magnetix flux density of 1000 Gauss and was supplied to CERN scientists and power plant technicians. The Milgauss was to become the most famous antimagnetic watch of our time.

Omega launched the Railmaster (ref CK2914), capable of withstanding magnetic fields, and produced these watches until 1963 before their discontinuation. Omega revived the Railmaster a few years ago, but these are the first models that are now collectible.

In 1958, Jaeger-LeCoultre presented the Geophysic chronometer to commemorate the International Geophysical Year. Geophysics was created for engineers and scientists and was able to withstand magnetic fields from the North Pole. (More details here.)

The legendary Rolex Milgauss

Patek Philippe also came to the tool watch festival in 1958, with its first antimagnetic wristwatch, the Amagnetic (Ref. 3417 in stainless steel). It was produced for two years and featured a soft iron cage and, in some cases, beryllium components to additionally counteract magnetism.

Most modern watches use non-ferrous metals in the escapement, so unless they are subjected to very high magnetic fields, they should be able to withstand all of the magnetic fields they encounter on a daily basis.

In 1989, IWC introduced a rare iteration (Ref. 3508) that was tested to withstand magnetic fields up to a force of 500,000 A / m (6,250 Gauss), the most antimagnetic watch of its time.

Ulysee Nardin made a significant leap in 2001 with the launch of the Freak, the first production wristwatch to use a silicon escapement wheel, it was the first time that silicon parts were used in a wristwatch. Designed by Ludwig Oechslin, the Freak announced the use of silicon in watch movements.

the Ulysse Nardin Freak was the first watch to use silicon parts.

Boutique watchmaker Christophe Claret caused a sensation in the world of watchmaking with the introduction of the X-TREM-1, a watch that used magnetic fields to display the time, in 2012. The watch featured two balls. spherical enclosed in transparent sapphire tubes attached to the caseband. watch to display the time. The watch’s bi-retrograde display was unique and revolutionary. Discover the new Christophe Claret X-Trem-1 – Sting HD here.

In 2013, Breguet delivered the first Classique Chronométrie 7727, a rhythmic wristwatch with magnets (yes, magnets) holding the balance. These magnets do not interfere with the movement because its in-line Swiss lever escapement and double balance springs are made of silicon.

This Breguet watch uses magnetic pivots in its movement. With the introduction of silicon in the moving parts of a watch movement, the battle against magnetism received a big boost, and in 2013 Omega took a new step by introducing the Master Co-Axial movement (Caliber 8508) capable of withstanding 15,000 Gauss. This is a far cry from the days when watches resisted 1000 Gauss in the late 1950s.

The use of silicon and anti-magnetic materials in the movement ensured that the movement did not need a soft iron cage, so watches could benefit from a transparent sapphire crystal caseback. Omega hopes to deploy this technology on all of its movements by 2020.

In 2017, Zenith unveiled the Defy Lab, which used a new oscillator to replace the traditional sprung balance first used in 1657 by Christiaan Huygens. The result is an incredibly precise mechanical watch (to within 0.3 seconds). The movement is insensitive to temperature gradients, gravity and magnetic fields, so many scarecrows in current balance-spring assemblies which are subject to deformation and / or expansion, thus causing a decrease in precision.

The new oscillator used on the Zenith Defy Lab

A version of this article appeared on our sister site, WatchTime Middle East.

Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS), an organization dedicated to fighting superstition in India, criticized the claim of a 71-year-old man from Nashik to have developed magnetism on his arms and neck after COVID vaccination. The activists said that if allowed they would verify the underlying facts.

Since the start of the COVID vaccination, there have been reports of minor headaches, fever and pain at the vaccination site or drowsiness after vaccination. However, in a video that went viral on social media, Arvind Sonar, a resident of Shivaji Chowk in the CIDCO area of ​​Nashik, claimed to have developed magnetism on his arms and neck after obtaining the Covishield vaccine.

Sonar claimed coins and steel objects stuck to his hands after taking the second dose of the Covishield vaccine. In the video clip, coins and steel spoons are glued to Sonar’s arms.

Sonar claimed to have taken the second dose of the Covishield vaccine two days ago in a private hospital. After hearing on social media about a Delhi man developing magnetism after taking the vaccine, he discovered that iron and steel objects, coins and spoons were stuck to his body, he said. -he assures.

After the music video went viral on social media, other people shared video clips of themselves with coins and spoons stuck to their arms and bodies.

MANS issued a statement that there is no scientific basis for Sonar’s claims. “It is necessary to check whether the man has something stuck on his arm. It could be something similar to what magicians do. If this man developed magnetism, why did several others not develop the same? No such incident has yet been reported. MANS, if allowed, will verify the truth behind the claim, ”MANS said in the statement.

Anna Kadlaskar, a member of the MANS state committee, said Sonar’s claim was false. “No one should consider this a miracle from God. We saw the video and why is it that only this man developed magnetism? There is no connection between magnetism and the vaccine. If it’s magnetism, how can steel stick and not iron? It is possible that the man applied a glue-like substance to his body. No one should raise such rumors about the Covishield vaccine, ”Kadlaskar said.

Another man from Kolhapur Shirol claimed to have developed magnetic powers after taking a dose of the COVID vaccine. In a video, Sahadeva Kumbhar from Kolhapur claimed that steel objects stuck to her hands after taking a dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Watching the video, we can see coins, steel spoons sticking to Mr. Kumbhar’s arms like magnetic pull. Looked:

Earlier, a 71-year-old man from Nashik had reported developing magnetism after taking a second dose of Covishield vaccine. Arvind Sonar, 71, from Nashik, claimed steel objects stuck to his hands after taking the second dose of Covishield vaccine. Arvind Sonar lives in Shivaji Chowk in the CIDCO neighborhood of Nashik.

However, according to a report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) specifically addresses the whole issue of magnetization on its website under “Myths and Facts about COVID-19 Vaccines,” writes, “Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine will not make you magnetic, including at the vaccination site, which is usually your arm. “

COVID-19 vaccines do not contain ingredients that can produce an electromagnetic field at the site of your injection, the CDC explains, noting that all COVID-19 vaccines are free of metals like iron, nickel, cobalt, lithium and rare earth alloys, as well as all manufactured products such as microelectronics, electrodes, carbon nanotubes and semiconductor nanowires.

Posted on: Friday June 11, 2021 9:25 PM IST

So far there have been reports of minor headaches, mild fever, or drowsiness after taking the COVID-19 vaccine, but a bizarre video that has gone viral on social media has left everyone on the line. straw which shows a 71-year-old man claiming to have developed magnetism on his arm and neck.

In the video, Arvind Sonar, a 71-year-old from Nashik, claimed that steel objects stuck to his hands after taking the second dose of Covishield vaccine. Arvind Sonar lives in Shivaji Chowk in the CIDCO neighborhood of Nashik.

Watching the video, we can see coins, steel spoons sticking to Mr. Sonar’s arms like magnetic pull. Looked:

According to a report, Mr Arvind took a second dose of Covishield vaccine two days ago at a private hospital. After discovering similar cases on social media – that magnetism is created after taking a vaccine, he tried it on himself. He noticed that iron and steel objects, coins and spoons were stuck to the body.

The district health worker said he would only respond after investigating the matter.

Notably, people on social media have shared videos of themselves with magnets stuck to their arms and body after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. “

However, according to a report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) specifically addresses the whole issue of magnetization on its website under “Myths and Facts about COVID-19 Vaccines,” writes, “Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine will not make you magnetic, including at the vaccination site, which is usually your arm. “

COVID-19 vaccines do not contain ingredients that can produce an electromagnetic field at the site of your injection, the CDC explains, noting that all COVID-19 vaccines are free of metals like iron, nickel, cobalt, lithium and rare earth alloys, as well as all manufactured products such as microelectronics, electrodes, carbon nanotubes and semiconductor nanowires.

Posted on: Thursday June 10, 2021 4:56 PM IST

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A well-known anti-vaccine advocate made allegations during Tuesday’s Ohio House Health Committee hearing on Bill 248, saying the shooting leads to magnetism and causes metallic objects to stick to the body.

“I’m sure you’ve seen the photos all over the internet of people who had these shots and now they’re magnetized. They can put a wrench on their forehead. He adheres. They can put spoons and forks everywhere and they can stick, ”said Dr. Sherri Tenpenny, who practices in the Cleveland area, in defense of Bill 248.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

If passed, Bill 248 would ban mandatory vaccinations and status disclosures.

“The purpose of this legislation is to allow people to choose to do what they think is best for their own bodies and to protect individuals from the consequences or the difficulties of choosing one way or another.” , said Jennifer Gross, co-leader of the bill. godfather, previously noted in a press release.

Dr Tenpenny’s unfounded claim came a day after Ohio Department of Health chief medical officer Dr Bruce Vanderhoff, along with other state doctors, held a briefing to dispel rumors regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.

19 News has contacted Dr Vanderhoff for further comment on the testimony.

Copyright 2021 WOIO. All rights reserved.

Why freezing iron-based materials makes them both magnetic and superconducting

Physicists at the University of Bath, working with researchers in the United States, have discovered a new mechanism by which magnetism and superconductivity coexist in the same material. Until now, scientists could only guess how this unusual coexistence might be possible. The discovery could lead to applications in green energy technologies and in the development of superconducting devices, such as next-generation computer hardware.

As a rule, superconductivity (the ability of a material to pass an electric current with perfect efficiency) and magnetism (seen at work in refrigerator magnets) make bad torques because the alignment of the tiny particles Electronic magnets in ferro-magnets generally leads to the destruction of the electron pairs responsible for superconductivity. Despite this, the Bath researchers found that the iron-based superconductor RbEuFe₄As₄, which is superconducting below -236 ° C, exhibits both superconductivity and magnetism below -258 ° C.

Physics postgraduate research student David Collomb, who was a key member of the research team led by Professor Simon Bending, explained: “There is a state in some materials where, if you really cool them down – much colder than Antarctica – they become superconducting. But for this superconductivity to be used for higher level applications, the material must show a coexistence with magnetic properties. This would allow us to develop devices operating on a magnetic principle, such as magnetic memory and computation using magnetic materials, to also benefit from the advantages of superconductivity.

“The problem is that superconductivity is usually lost when magnetism is activated. For many decades, scientists have tried to explore a multitude of materials that have both properties in a single material, and materials scientists have recently succeeded in making a handful of these materials. However, until we understand why coexistence is possible, the hunt for these materials cannot be done with such a fine comb.

“This new research gives us a material that has a wide temperature range where these phenomena coexist, and it will allow us to study more closely and in great detail the interaction between magnetism and superconductivity. Hopefully this will allow us to identify the mechanism by which this coexistence can occur. “

In a study published in Physical examination letters, the team investigated the unusual behavior of RbEuFe₄As₄ by creating magnetic field maps of a superconducting material when the temperature has dropped. To their surprise, they found that the vortices (the points in the superconducting material where the magnetic field enters) exhibited a pronounced widening near the temperature of -258 ° C, indicating a strong suppression of superconductivity as the magnetism turned off. is activated.

Left: A gold-coated crystal – the gold coating allows the magnetic imaging tool to come within nanometers of the material’s surface. Right: a magnetic image of a segment of the crystal showing the vortices (black holes) that have been studied. Credit: University of Bath

These observations are in agreement with a theoretical model recently proposed by Dr Alexei Koshelev of Argonne National Laboratory in the United States. This theory describes the suppression of superconductivity by magnetic fluctuations due to europium (Eu) atoms in crystals. Here, the magnetic direction of each Eu atom begins to fluctuate and align with others, as the material drops below a certain temperature. This makes the material magnetic. The Bath researchers conclude that while the superconductivity is significantly weakened by the magnetic effect, it is not completely destroyed.

“This suggests that in our material, magnetism and superconductivity are separated from each other in their own subnets, which interact only minimally,” said Mr Collomb.

“This work greatly advances our understanding of these rare coexisting phenomena and could lead to possible applications in superconducting devices of the future. This will lead to a deeper hunt in materials that exhibit both superconductivity and magnetism. We hope this will also encourage researchers in more applied fields to take some of these materials and turn them into next-generation computing devices.

“Hopefully, the scientific community will gradually enter an era where we move from researching blue skies to making devices from these materials. In ten years or so, we could see prototypes of devices using this technology that do a real job. “

Professor Bending added: “Our main result, namely that the appearance of magnetism strongly suppresses superconductivity, is rather surprising and, at first glance, seems to contradict previous measurements on very similar samples. However, RbEuFe₄As₄ is an extremely complex material in which the electrons and holes responsible for superconductivity exist in several distinct bands. Each of them contributes at a different level to the superconducting state and interacts differently with the europium magnetic atoms. As a result, any observation can be very sensitive to the exact details of the measurement being made. “

Reference: “Observation of the suppression of superconductivity in RbEuFe₄As₄ by Correlated Magnetic Fluctuations ”by D. Collomb, SJ Bending, AE Koshelev, MP Smylie, L. Farrar, J.-K. Bao, DY Chung, MG Kanatzidis, W.-K. Kwok and U. Welp, Physical examination letters.
DOI: 10.1103 / PhysRevLett.126.157001

The American collaborators on this project were the Argonne National Laboratory, Hofstra University and Northwestern University.